ABSTRACT
In this chapter, growth and development of Indian tea industry has been described. Major tea-growing regions in India have been presented in a lucid manner. Paramount emphasis has been given on the tea industry of North Bengal region. Further, growth and development of the tea industry of North Bengal has been described in terms of the number of tea gardens, production, and area of cultivation of tea.
The growth of Indian tea industry has been described in this chapter based on the two major periods: the period prior to the five-year plans (1850-1950), and the five-year plans period (1951 to the succeeding years). Tea cultivation began in India in 1834 on an experimental basis. The commercial cultivation of tea was started in 1839 after the establishment of Assam Tea Company. In the following year, several companies were established and the rate of growth was found remarkable. The Government of India appointed a committee during the first planning period in 1952 under the supervision of Rajaram Rao. The committee was named as ‘Rajaram Rao Committee on Tea’. However, the committee was formed to trace out the difficulties confronted by the tea industry. Accordingly, the committee provided suggestions to revamp the industry.
